Streamlining HR Operations!
Human Resources has become an essential component in shaping the future of organizations, going beyond just managing recruitment and employee relations. It now focuses on cultivating talent, fostering organizational culture, and aligning employee engagement with long-term business goals. The evolving role of HR is moving toward strategic integration, where technology, inclusivity, and employee development are central to building competitive and agile businesses. As the workplace continues to transform, especially with remote collaboration and the rise of artificial intelligence, HR professionals are increasingly tasked with guiding organizations through these changes while maintaining productivity and morale.
Jennifer Tiffin, the Human Resources Director for the APAC region, has emerged as a transformative leader in this transformative space. Her vision extends beyond administrative HR functions, emphasizing collaborative leadership, cultural sensitivity, and the empowerment of her teams. Jennifer’s belief in transparency, trust, and continuous learning defines her leadership style, helping her overcome intricate challenges like restructuring and acquisition onboarding. Through these principles, she has cultivated high-energy teams capable of steering organizational success, ensuring smooth transitions, and enhancing employee engagement across diverse regions and cultures.
At Bunzl Australasia, Jennifer’s impact is particularly evident in her strategic alignment of HR practices with business objectives. By focusing on talent acquisition, succession planning, and diversity initiatives, she has strengthened the company’s internal capabilities and helped build a globally recognized employment brand. Under her leadership, the HR function ensures compliance and operational efficiency and contributes to Bunzl’s broader mission of growth and innovation. Through her stewardship, the company remains competitive by attracting top-tier talent and fostering a workplace culture that reflects its commitment to community engagement and corporate responsibility.
Let’s explore Jennifer’s innovative leadership journey in human resources:
The Strategic Role of HR in Business Success
Jennifer was motivated to pursue a career in Human Resources because of her passion for working with people and helping them achieve their full potential. Over time, Jennifer’s passion has evolved as she saw the profound impact of effective HR practices on both individuals and organizations. Jennifer shares, “I’ve grown to appreciate the strategic role HR plays in driving business success and cultivating a positive workplace culture.”
Building a Strong Global Employment Brand
As the HR Director for APAC, her key responsibilities include overseeing talent acquisition, employee development, performance management, and compliance with regional labor laws. She also has responsibility for areas of corporate responsibility, which in Australia includes leading the Reconciliation Action Plan, community engagement, and workplace health and safety.
Jennifer collaborates with senior leadership to understand the business objectives of Bunzl Australasia and develop HR strategies that align with the strategic goals of the company, supporting growth, innovation, and operational excellence.
Some examples of this alignment include the Innovative Reconciliation Action Plan. By recognizing the disadvantages of first-nation peoples, this plan removes the barriers and ensures everyone can participate in employment.
From a commercial perspective, Jennifer ensures that Bunzl Australasia’s procurement and sales teams can be fully engaged in these practices to align with its customers on its commitment and the additional community value that working with Bunzl can deliver into Diversity and Reconciliation.
Over the last 3 years, the HR department has identified and developed internal talent through the succession planning process, which enabled Bunzl Australasia to fill its regional MD position and several other senior C-suite roles internally.
Over the last 4 years, Jennifer has developed the global employment brand “We Believe,” which has driven significant improvements in time to fill and capability attraction within the business, including a substantial saving in expense through high-value candidates being attracted to work for the organization, removing the reliance of external talent agencies.
Empowering Teams Through Collaborative Leadership
Jennifer highlights collaborative and inclusive leadership. She believes in empowering her team members by providing them with the autonomy to make decisions and encouraging open communication.
Jennifer shares, “The principles that guide me include trust, transparency, and continuous learning.” “By fostering a supportive environment, I aim to create high-energy, high-engagement teams that are motivated to achieve their best,” she added.
Jennifer has a team full of high energy. They constantly connect with each other and have fun together, which helps them to provide support to each other while going through tough times.
Maintaining Morale During Transitions
She approaches the challenges of business integration and restructuring with a clear and structured plan underpinned by the value of respect. This involves thorough communication, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on maintaining morale.
Jennifer highlights, “I prioritize understanding the unique culture of each site and work to integrate best practices while respecting local nuances.” “My goal is to ensure a smooth transition that minimizes disruption and maximizes efficiency,” she added.
Acquisition onboarding is critical and needs to be managed with respect and excitement towards the future. Jennifer shares, “My key message when meeting new acquisition employees is, ‘I have two goals before I leave you today.’ The first is to reassure you, and the second is to excite you.”
Cultural Sensitivity in Remote Collaboration
In her opinion, “cultivating strong relationships across interstate and international offices involves regular communication, visits, and leveraging technology to stay connected.” Covid has helped in this space.
Before COVID, it is expected to be physically present; however, post-COVID, new skills developed—not just technologies, but strong and meaningful connections—without the need to be physically present. Jennifer believes that we probably have greater communication and engagement remotely than ever before.
Building trust and understanding cultural differences are crucial. These relationships are vital for the success of the HR function as they facilitate collaboration, ensure consistency in HR practices, and help in addressing issues promptly and effectively.
Promoting Inclusive Hiring and Diversity Training
Jennifer supports international diversity by promoting inclusive hiring practices, offering diversity training, and creating platforms for employees to share their diverse perspectives. This diversity enriches team dynamics by bringing in a variety of viewpoints and ideas, which drives innovation and problem-solving. It also enhances the ability to serve a global customer base effectively.
She believes, “Utilizing our global presence is really important and valuable.” Citing an incident, she said that recently, one of our key members of the HR team was out for several months due to an unexpected illness. She reached out to her peers in other regions and was offered a development opportunity for an HR Manager from Brazil to come and work in Australia for 8 weeks.
Continuous Learning for HR Excellence
She stays ahead of the latest trends and developments in HR by continuously learning through professional development courses, attending industry conferences, and networking with other HR professionals. She also keeps an eye on emerging technologies and best practices. This proactive approach helps Jennifer to ensure the company, Bunzl Australasia, remains competitive in attracting and retaining top talent by implementing innovative HR solutions.
Balancing Work and Life for HR Success
Jennifer believes, “Maintaining a healthy work-life balance involves setting clear boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and delegating effectively.” She also makes time for regular exercise, hobbies, and spending time with family and friends. Ensuring well-being allows Jennifer to stay energized and focused, which is essential for leading complex HR initiatives successfully.
Jennifer shares, “This might sound like a rosy outlook; however, the reality is it’s easy to lose sight of your own well-being.” “Having a strong leadership peer group and being prepared to be vulnerable and giving permission to others to call you out makes it critical to maintain the right mindset to prioritize yourself,” she added.
Developing Cross-Cultural Competence
She advises aspiring HR professionals to develop a strong foundation in HR principles and stay adaptable to change. Another key and critical aspect is to take the time to understand the commercial realities of a business. The most successful HR team members are those who can sit around a boardroom table with Finance, Sales, and Operations professionals, understand the discussion, and be able to contribute to it.
They can then use this knowledge to help develop and deliver on initiatives and programs that help the business achieve commercial outcomes. Building cross-cultural competence and gaining experience in different regions can be invaluable. Additionally, cultivating strong communication and leadership skills will prepare them for the complications of leading in a multinational environment.
Enhancing Talent Management
Jennifer’s future goals for the HR function at Bunzl APAC include enhancing talent management processes, nurturing a culture of continuous improvement, and adopting technology to streamline HR operations.
She is particularly excited about opportunities for Automation and AI and the time that leveraging these will give back to become a stronger strategic partner. She plans to drive these goals forward by setting clear objectives, investing in employee development, and continuously seeking feedback to refine strategies.
